ADJUSTABLE-BARREL CURLING IRON

Abstract

An adjustable barrel, a barrel-adjustment assembly, and an adjustable distal tip assembly. The barrel is radially adjustable between an expanded position and a contracted position having different diameters. The barrel-adjustment assembly includes a barrel cam, a gear-set, and a rotary adjustment ring. The barrel cam rotates to unwrap and wrap the barrel thereabout between the expanded and contracted positions. The gear-set rotationally drives the barrel cam. The adjustment ring can be longitudinally translated from a disengaged position to an engaged position. In the disengaged position the gear-set is disengaged (but an anti-rotation assembly is engaged) and in the engaged position the gear-set is engaged (and the anti-rotation assembly is disengaged). Once in the disengaged position, the adjustment ring can be rotated, which causes the engaged gear-set to rotate the barrel cam, which in turn wraps and unwraps the barrel about the cam into increased or decreased diameters.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/241,526, filed Sep. 11, 2009, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Many women use electric hair-care appliances such as hair dryers, flat irons, and curling irons to style their hair. Conventional curling irons have a heated barrel that is used to create curls in the hair. Different-sized curls are sometimes desirable to create different styles suited for an occasion, outfit, trend, preference, current hair-length, etc. To create different-sized curls, different-sized curling iron barrels must be used. Thus, in order to be able to style their hair with different-sized curls, many women have several different curling irons each with a different-sized barrel. However, many women have limited storage space for curling irons and other hair-care appliances, and arranging for sufficient storage space can be a real problem.

In addition, there are usually a limited number of electrical outlets available in bathrooms, where most hairstyling is done. For women who use multiple electric hair-care appliances, it's common to add plug-in outlet expansions and/or power strips. This can lead to a potential safety hazard by too much current draw interfering with GFCI operation and/or causing circuit overloads.

Accordingly, it can be seen that there exists a need for a better way for women to conveniently and safely create different-sized curls in their hair. It is to the provision of solutions to this and other problems that the present invention is primarily directed.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to adjustable-barrel curling irons for curling hair into different-sized curls. In one example embodiment there is provided a curling iron comprising a handle, a pivotal clip, a barrel-adjustment assembly, and an adjustable end assembly. The barrel-adjustment assembly comprises an adjustment ring, a fixed ring, an adjustable diameter barrel, and a barrel cam, wherein the adjustment ring and the fixed ring can be manipulated to change the diameter of the barrel by wrapping the barrel upon the barrel cam. The barrel is a coiled sheet comprising a flexible heating element. The adjustable end assembly comprises a plurality of fan blades, constructed to provide coverage for the end of the barrel as the diameter of the barrel is changed.

In other example embodiments, adjustable-barrel curling irons are provided with adjustable heated fingers, a telescoping barrel, a swappable/invertible barrel, an extending heated coil barrel, and a woven cylinder barrel.

These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will be understood with reference to the drawing figures and detailed description herein, and will be realized by means of the various elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following brief description of the drawings and detailed description of the invention are explanatory of example embodiments of the invention, and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a first perspective view of an adjustable-barrel curling iron according to a first example embodiment of the present invention, showing an adjustable barrel in a fully expanded position.

FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the adjustable-barrel curling iron of FIG. 1, with a portion of a flexible distal tip not shown for clarity, showing the adjustable barrel in a fully contracted position.

FIG. 3 is a third perspective view of the adjustable-barrel curling iron of FIG. 1, with the adjustable distal tip assembly not shown for clarity, showing the adjustable barrel in the fully expanded position.

FIG. 4 shows the adjustable-barrel curling iron of FIG. 3 with the adjustable barrel in a partially contracted, intermediate position.

FIG. 5 shows the adjustable-barrel curling iron of FIG. 3 with the adjustable barrel in the fully contracted position.

FIG. 6 is a right end view of the adjustable-barrel curling iron of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a right end view of the adjustable-barrel curling iron of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a right end view of the adjustable-barrel curling iron of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of a barrel-adjustment assembly of the adjustable-barrel curling iron of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-section view of the barrel-adjustment assembly of the adjustable-barrel curling iron of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative barrel-adjustment assembly for use with the adjustable-barrel curling iron of FIG. 1, with a ring-driven gear and a drive gear shown without all their gear teeth for clarity.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a barrel-adjustment assembly of an adjustable-barrel curling iron according to a second example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the barrel-adjustment assembly of FIG. 12 shown in a fully expanded position.

FIG. 14 shows the barrel-adjustment assembly of FIG. 13 in a fully expanded position

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a fabric barrel cover for the barrel-adjustment assembly of FIG. 12.

FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of an adjustable-barrel curling iron according to a third example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an adjustable-barrel curling iron according to a fourth example embodiment of the present invention, showing an adjustable barrel in a fully expanded position.

FIG. 18 shows the adjustable-barrel curling iron of FIG. 17 in a fully contracted position.

FIG. 19 is a longitudinal cross-section view of a barrel-adjustment assembly of the adjustable-barrel curling iron of FIG. 17.

FIG. 20 is a longitudinal cross-section view of a barrel-adjustment assembly of an adjustable-barrel curling iron according to a fifth example embodiment of the present invention, shown in a fully contracted position.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the barrel-adjustment assembly of the adjustable-barrel curling iron of FIG. 20, shown in a fully expanded position.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a barrel-adjustment assembly of an adjustable-barrel curling iron according to a sixth example embodiment, shown in a fully expanded position.

FIG. 23 shows the barrel-adjustment assembly of FIG. 22 in a fully contracted position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing figures, which form a part of this disclosure. It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions, or parameters of the example embodiments described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only. Thus, the terminology is intended to be broadly construed and is not intended to be unnecessarily limiting of the claimed invention. For example, as used in the specification including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural, the term “or” means “and/or,” and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, any methods described herein are not intended to be limited to the sequence of steps described but can be carried out in other sequences, unless expressly stated otherwise herein. Any and all patents and other publications identified in this specification are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.

With reference now to the drawing figures, wherein like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIGS. 1-10 show an adjustable-barrel curling iron 10 according to a first example embodiment. The curling iron 10 includes a handle 12, a pivotal clip 14, a barrel-adjustment assembly 20, an adjustable barrel 26, at least one heater 30, and an adjustable distal tip assembly 40.

The handle 12 can be of a conventional type used in commercially available curling irons, with a generally cylindrical and elongated shape, as depicted. A user interface 13 and controls (not shown) are included, for example, as part of the handle 12. The user interface 13 and controls can be of a conventional type used in commercially available curling irons, for example, including a temperature control circuit for controlling the temperature, an on/off switch, and other operational controls of the curling iron 10.

The pivotal clip 14 can be of a conventional typical used in commercially available curling irons. Thus, the pivotal clip 14 is pivotally coupled to a fixed component of the curling iron 10 so it can pivot between an open position (not shown) and a closed position (see FIG. 1) where it clamps hair down onto the barrel 26 for curling. For example, the pivotal clip 14 can be attached to attachment tabs on a fixed ring 24 (described below with reference to the barrel-adjustment assembly 20).

The barrel-adjustment assembly 20 is located at the distal end portion of the handle 12 and the proximal end portion of the barrel 26. The barrel-adjustment assembly 20 includes a fixed ring 24, a rotary adjustment ring 22, a rotation-transferring linkage such as an adjustment gear-set 34, and a barrel cam 28. These components can be made of a material such as a hard plastic material.

The fixed ring 24 is fixedly attached to a stationary component of the curling iron 10. For example, the fixed ring 24 can be fixedly attached to the handle 12 by a center connection rod along the longitudinal axis of the curling iron 10 (not shown) or by conventional connecting structures as would be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art.

The rotary adjustment ring 22 is positioned adjacent the fixed ring 24, for example, between the handle 12 and the fixed ring. In addition, the rotary adjustment ring 22 is rotationally and translationally mounted to a stationary component of the curling iron 10, for example, the handle 12. For example, the rotary adjustment ring 22 can include a circumferential flange 35 that rotationally mounts it to the handle 12 and a clutch-plate spring 31 that translationally mounts it to the handle. In this way, the rotary adjustment ring 22 rotates (as indicated by the rotary directional arrows of FIG. 10) and axially translates (as indicated by the linear directional arrows of FIG. 10) relative to the handle 12, while the fixed ring 24 does neither.

The rotary adjustment ring 22 axially translates between an engaged position (see FIGS. 9-10) and a disengaged position (not shown). In the engaged position, the rotary adjustment ring 22 engages (directly itself or indirectly by an anti-rotation assembly) the fixed ring 24, and in the disengaged position it is retracted from such engagement. For example, the rotary adjustment ring 22 can include a clutch plate 21 that is positioned at its distal end and that engages the fixed ring 24 in the engaged position. The rotary adjustment ring 22 is biased toward the engaged position by the clutch-plate spring 31. The clutch-plate spring 31 can be provided by for example a compression coil spring (as depicted), a leaf spring, or another elastic member that biases against the distal end-wall of the handle 12.

The adjustment ring 22 further includes an anti-rotation assembly that prevents it from rotating when in the engaged position. The anti-rotation assembly includes at least one protrusion that either extends distally from the rotary adjustment ring 22 to engage a stationary component of the curling iron 10 such as the fixed ring 24 (as depicted), or that extends proximally from a stationary component of the curling iron such as the fixed ring to engage the rotary adjustment ring 22. In a typical embodiment, for example, the anti-rotation assembly includes a plurality of evenly spaced protrusions 23 arranged in a circle on the distal surface of the clutch plate 21 that are received in a plurality of alignable recesses 25 on the proximal surface of the fixed ring 24 (see FIGS. 9-10). Thus, the recesses 25 on the proximal surface of the fixed ring 24 are evenly spaced by the same distance and arranged in a circle of the same radius as the protrusions 23. The protrusions 23 and recesses 25 can be generally semi-spherical (as depicted) or they can have another regular or irregular shape such that they mate together. When the adjustment ring 22 is in the engaged position, the protrusions 24 are received in the recesses 25 while the clutch-plate spring 31 biases the clutch plate against the fixed ring 24, thereby restraining the adjustment ring 22 from rotational motion. But when the adjustment ring 22 is in the disengaged position, the protrusions 24 are retracted from the recesses 25, thereby freeing the adjustment ring 22 to be rotated by the user.

In alternative embodiments, the protrusions extend proximally from the fixed ring and the recesses are formed in the distal surface of the clutch plate. And in other alternative embodiments, the at least one protrusion of the anti-rotation assembly is provided by a pawl of a ratchet assembly, a tab or hook, or another protruding structure that selectively interferes with another element to prevent rotation of the adjustment ring 22 when its in the engaged position.

The adjustment gear-set 34 includes an adjustment drive gear 27 and a barrel cam gear 29 that meshingly engage each other when the adjustment ring 22 is in the engaged position (see FIGS. 9-10) but that are not engaged when the adjustment ring 22 translated to the disengaged position. The adjustment drive gear 27 is fixedly coupled to the adjustment ring 22 so that they rotate together. For example, a drive gear shaft 32 can extend through an aperture in the proximal end-wall of the fixed ring 24 and connect the clutch plate 21 and the drive gear 27. The barrel cam gear 29 is rotationally coupled to a stationary component of the curling iron 10 such as the fixed ring 24 so that the cam gear is free to rotate when driven by the drive gear 27. For example, a cam gear shaft 33 can extend from the cam gear 29 and rotationally connect to the proximal end-wall of the fixed ring 24. In alternative embodiments, a rotation-transferring linkage is provided without gears but with other linkages that transfer the rotary motion of the adjustment ring 22 to the barrel cam 28, including for example, pulley systems, belts, chains, or the like.

The barrel cam 28 extends longitudinally from the barrel cam gear 29 and is non-concentric with the fixed ring 24 (see FIGS. 9-10). The barrel cam 28 can be provided by an elongate member with a length that extends at least a substantial portion of the length of the barrel 26.

The barrel 26 is constructed from a strong, flexible, thermal-conductive material, such as light gage steel. The material is initially in the shape of a flat sheet, and is then rolled into a generally cylindrical shape. In cross-section, the cylindrical barrel 26 has overlapping inner and outer ends 36 and 37 in a spiral configuration. The inner end 36 of the barrel 26 is attached to the barrel cam 28, and the barrel is coiled around the barrel cam non-concentrically. The barrel 26 is radially adjustable between an expanded position (see FIGS. 1, 3, and 6), at least one intermediate position (see FIGS. 4 and 7), and a contracted position (see FIGS. 2, 5, and 8).

The heater 30 can be provided by a flexible heating element made of kapton, mylar, silicone, or another material, that is bonded or otherwise attached to the inner surface of the barrel 26 to provide heat to the barrel. The heater 30 is sized and constructed so that it coils around the barrel cam 28 when the barrel 26 is adjusted smaller. This enables the heater 30 to remain in constant and continuous contact with the barrel 26 to provide even and uniform heating. To insure proper heating of the barrel 26, a thermistor can be attached to the bottom of the heater 30 and barrel to provide feedback to the temperature control circuit. All wires for the heater 30 and thermistor can be routed through an aperture in an inner surface of the fixed ring 24 near the barrel cam 28. By positioning the wires through this aperture in this location, bending and flexing of the wires is minimized during the adjustment of the barrel 26, and the wires are concealed and protected from the moving parts throughout the entire range of motion. In alternative embodiments, the heater can be provided by electric heating rods, coils, or other conventional heating elements that are attached to or positioned proximate the barrel to provide heat to the barrel.

The adjustable distal end assembly 40 is located at and forms the distal end of the curling iron 10. The adjustable distal end assembly 40 includes a plurality of fan blades 42 and a distal tip cover 16. The fan blades 42 are coupled to and extend between the tip cover 16 and the distal end of the barrel 26 such that they overlap and layer upon one another in a decreased-diameter arrangement when the barrel 26 is in the contracted position and they fan out into an increased-diameter arrangement when the barrel is in the expanded position (see FIG. 1). In this way, the adjustable distal end assembly 40 provides adjustable coverage for the open end of the barrel 26 as its diameter is radially adjusted (increased or decreased).

For example, in the depicted embodiment, the fan blades 42 are elongated and generally triangular, and are made from a flexible and heat resistant material. The wide ends of the fan blades 42 are attached to the distal end portion of the barrel 26 and the narrow ends are attached to the tip cover 16. And the tip cover 16 is attached to the distal end of the barrel cam 28, which in the depicted embodiment has a length that extends longer than that of the barrel 26.

Having described the major components and construction of the curling iron 10, its operation and use will now be described. In FIGS. 1, 3, and 6, the barrel 26 is the expanded position and the rotary adjustment ring 22 is in the disengaged position. Thus, the drive gear 27 and the cam gear 29 are out of engagement with one another and the clutch plate 21 is fully biased against the fixed ring 24 with the protrusions 23 fully engaged with the recesses 25. The curling iron 10 in this state can be used to make larger-diameter curls.

To adjust the diameter of the barrel 26 smaller to make small-diameter curls, the user grasps the adjustment ring 22 and translationally moves it to the engaged position of FIGS. 9-10. In the depicted embodiment, for example, the user retracts the adjustment ring 22 in the proximal direction indicated by the linear arrows of FIG. 10. Retracting the adjustment ring 22 retracts the clutch plate 21 and thereby retracts the protrusions 23 from engagement with the recesses 25, thereby allowing the adjustment ring to be rotated. Retracting the adjustment ring 22 also retracts the drive gear 27 from its disengaged position forward/distal of the cam gear 29 into the depicted engaged position with the teeth of the two gears meshing. With the adjustment ring 22 so retracted, the user then rotates the adjustment ring 22 as indicated by the rotational arrows of FIG. 10. This rotation in turn rotates the drive gear 27, which rotationally drives the cam gear 29 (in an opposite direction), which in turn rotates the barrel cam 28. The rotation of the barrel cam 28 pulls on the inner end 36 of the barrel 26 and causes it to rotate and wrap around the barrel cam as it submerges under the outer end 37 of the barrel. Thus, as the adjustment ring 22 is rotated, the barrel cam 28 rotates and winds in the barrel 26 around it to cause the barrel to have a decreased diameter.

As can be seen by the position of the inner end 36 of the barrel 26 in FIGS. 4 and 7, in the depicted embodiment the barrel cam 28 has been rotated by about 90 degrees to adjust the barrel 26 to the intermediate position shown. The user then returns the adjustment ring 22 to the disengaged position. In the depicted embodiment, for example, the user merely releases the adjustment ring 22, then the clutch-plate spring 31 biases it back to the disengaged position and the anti-rotation assembly holds it there (e.g., with the protrusions 23 engaging the recesses 25 they are then aligned with to lock the clutch plate 21 against any unwanted angular rotation). As can also be seen, the non-concentric arrangement of the barrel cam 28 and the barrel 26 allows the pivotal clip 14 to rest along the surface of the barrel even though the diameter of the barrel has been changed. The user can now use the curling iron 10 to make curls with a smaller diameter than could be made in the expanded position.

This same adjustment process can be used to adjust the diameter of the barrel 26 larger back to the expanded position or smaller to the contracted position (see FIGS. 2, 5, and 8). For example, when adjusting the barrel 26 from here to the contracted position, the process is repeated. As can be seen in FIGS. 5 and 8, in the depicted embodiment the barrel cam 28 has been rotated by an additional about 90 degrees from the intermediate to the contracted position. And when returning the barrel 26 from the intermediate to the expanded position, the process is repeated except that the adjustment ring is rotated in the opposite direction to unwrap the barrel from the cam 28.

The barrel-adjustment assembly 20 and the barrel 26 can be constructed to provide a plurality of preset barrel diameters that are commonly used and seen in the market. For example, the protrusions 23 and the recesses 25 can be positioned and spaced to align and mate at positions of the adjustment ring 22 that produce a minimum and maximum diameter of the barrel 26 of 0.75 and 1.75 inches, respectively, with 0.25 inch increments. In this example, the curling iron 10 can be adjusted to five positions having barrel diameters of 0.75, 1.00, 1.25, 1.50, and 1.75 inches, thereby enabling a single one of the curling irons 10 to do the job of five conventional curling irons. In addition, the protrusions 23 and recesses 22 of the anti-rotation assembly form detents, and their circumferential spacings can be selected to define discrete adjustment positions of the barrel 26. One skilled in the art will recognize that a number of possible combinations and permutations for the sizing and arrangement of the barrel 26 and the barrel-adjustment assembly 20 can be provided to produce a number of different barrel sizes and discrete adjustment positions.

With reference now to FIG. 11, an alternative barrel-adjustment assembly 120 is shown that can be substituted into the design of the curling iron 10. The barrel-adjustment assembly 20 includes a fixed ring (not shown), a rotary adjustment ring 122, an adjustment gear-set 135, a barrel cam 128, and a ball detent assembly 131. The fixed ring, a rotary adjustment ring 122, and the barrel cam 128 are similar to those described with respect to the first example embodiment.

The adjustment gear-set 135 includes a cam gear 129 that rotates the barrel cam 128, and a drive gear 127 that drives the cam gear, similar to those described with respect to the first example embodiment. In this embodiment, however, the adjustment gear-set 135 includes a ring gear 154 and a ring-driven gear 152. The ring gear 154 is mounted to the adjustment ring 122, for example, with its teeth facing radially inward, and drives the ring-driven gear 152. The ring-driven gear 152 is coupled to the drive gear 127, for example by a connecting body 156, so that they rotate together. In this way, as the adjustment ring 122 is rotated, the ring gear 154 rotationally drives the ring-driven gear 152, which in turn rotates the drive gear 127, which in turn rotationally drives the cam gear 129, which rotates the barrel cam 128, thereby adjusting the diameter of the barrel.

In addition, the ball detent assembly 131 can be provided by a cylinder with an detent ball recessed therein and outwardly spring-biased. The ball detent assembly 131 is positioned and configured so that the detent ball engages with the teeth of the ring gear 154. The ball detent assembly 131 thereby provides a resistive force against the teeth of the ring gear 154 that prevents the ring gear from accidently rotating. However, the outward force of the ball detent assembly 131 can be overcome by applying a strong enough rotational force to the adjustment ring 122, allowing the barrel 126 to still be adjusted by the user as desired. Thus, the ball detent assembly 131 serves as an anti-rotation assembly to prevent unintended rotating of the adjustment ring 122 and mis-adjustment of the barrel 126. The ball detent assembly 131 can be mounted to the fixed ring or another stationary component of the curling iron.

As used herein, a ball detent assembly is any type of detent mechanism with a spring-biased extension and retraction member (not just a ball) that is biased into engagement with the ring gear teeth to hold the adjustment ring from rotation unless a sufficiently large rotary overcoming force is applied to the adjustment ring.

With reference now to FIGS. 12-15, there is shown a barrel-adjustment assembly 220 of an adjustable-barrel curling iron according to a second example embodiment of the present invention. The barrel-adjustment assembly 220 includes a guide plate 221, a rotary adjustment ring 222, an adjustment ring gear 227, a plurality of planet gears 229, a plurality of finger cam arms 228, and a plurality of heated fingers 230. The guide plate 221 is fixedly attached to the handle (not shown) or another stationary component of the curling iron. The rotary adjustment ring 222 rotates relative to the guide plate 221, for example, it can be rotationally coupled to the guide plate, the handle, or another stationary component of the curling iron. The rotationally coupling can be provided for example by a circumferential flange of the guide plate 221 being received in a circumferential groove of the adjustment ring 222, or vice versa. The ring gear 227 is positioned within the rotary adjustment ring 222 with its gear teeth engaging and driving the gear teeth of the planet gears 229. For example, the gear teeth of the ring gear 227 can extend radially inward and the gear teeth of the planet gears 229 can extend radially outward into mating cooperative engagement, as depicted in FIG. 12. The planet gears 229 are attached to and drive the finger cam arms 228 in a one-to-one relationship. For example, pivot shafts (not shown) can extend through apertures 226 in the guide plate 221 to connect the planet gears 229 to the finger cam arms 228. The heated fingers 230 extend distally from the finger cam arms 228 and are connected to them at a location spaced apart from the connection location of the pivot shafts, the finger cam arms thereby forming moment arms.

In this way, when the rotary adjustment ring 222 is rotated, the ring gear 227 attached to it rotationally drives the planet gears 229. And the rotating planet gears 229 then rotationally drive the finger cam arms 228, which causes the heated fingers 230 to swing between the expanded position of FIGS. 12-13 and the contracted position of FIG. 14. In particular, when the barrel-adjustment assembly 220 is in the expanded position of FIGS. 12-13 and the rotary adjustment ring 222 is rotated clockwise, the finger cam arms 228 and the heated fingers 230 are rotated clockwise about the pivot shafts to the contracted position of FIG. 14. And when the barrel-adjustment assembly 220 is in the contracted position of FIG. 14 and the rotary adjustment ring 222 is rotated counter-clockwise, the finger cam arms 228 and the heated fingers 230 are rotated counter-clockwise about the pivot shafts back to the expanded position of FIG. 12-13.

In addition, the guide plate 221 can include a plurality of curved cam-arm guide tracks 225 formed in it and the finger cam arms 228 can include guide extensions (not shown) extending proximally from them and riding along the cam-arm guide tracks. In this way, the cam-arm guide tracks 225 and the cam-arm guide extensions cooperatively provide additional guidance for a smooth and easy radial-adjustment motion. In the depicted embodiment, the am-arm guide tracks 225 are provided by curved slots extending through the guide plate 221 and through which electrical wires can be routed for powering the heated fingers 230.

FIG. 15 shows a radially expandable barrel 226 that fits over the heated fingers 230 and expands and contracts with them between the expanded position of FIGS. 12-13 and the contracted position of FIG. 14. Thus, the barrel 226 stretches radially outward to match the outer diameter defined by the heated fingers 230 in the expanded position and elastically contracts radially inward to match the outer diameter defined by the heated fingers in the contracted position. The barrel 226 can be provided by a fabric-coated sleeve made for example from a stretchable nylon material. The fingers 230 define a generally circular layout and the barrel 226 can sheath the entire plurality of heated fingers 230 simultaneously while forming a cylindrical surface.

FIG. 16 shows an adjustable-barrel curling iron 310 according to a third example embodiment of the present invention. The curling iron 310 comprises a handle 312, a primary smaller-diameter barrel 326a, a secondary intermediate-diameter barrel 326b, and a tertiary larger-diameter barrel 326c. The barrels 326a-c are arranged in a generally telescopic arrangement, with the primary barrel 326a slidingly received within the secondary barrel 326b, which in turn is slidingly received within the tertiary barrel 326c, which in turn is slidingly received within the handle 312. The barrels 326a-c can be pulled out individually or in combination to provide the desirable diameter for curling hair (as shown by the three directional arrows). For example, the primary barrel 326a can be extended for use with the secondary and tertiary barrel 326b-c remaining nested within the handle 312. Or the primary and secondary barrels 326a-b can be extended together, with the primary barrel remaining nested within the secondary barrel and with the tertiary barrel 326c remaining nested within the handle 312, for use of the secondary barrel. The barrels 326a-c can be held in place by releasable fasteners such as detents, spring-biased pushpins, radially-tightening collars, or the like, that releasably hold the barrels in user-selected configurations.

FIGS. 17-19 show an adjustable-barrel curling iron 410 according to a fourth example embodiment of the present invention. The curling iron 410 comprises a handle 412 and a barrel-adjustment assembly 420. The barrel-adjustment assembly 420 comprises a smaller-diameter primary barrel 426a and a larger-diameter secondary barrel 426b that are attached to one another at their ends. The barrels 426a and 426b have different fixed diameters and are each individually received within an aperture in the handle 412. The aperture can have a deeper smaller-diameter section for receiving the smaller primary barrel 426a with the larger secondary barrel 426b exposed for use, and a shallower larger-diameter section for receiving the larger secondary barrel with the smaller primary barrel exposed for use. Thus, the smaller-diameter primary barrel 426a can be longer than the larger secondary barrel 426b so that it extends into the deeper smaller-diameter section, with the same length of barrel exposed for use in either expanded (larger-diameter) or contracted (smaller-diameter) position. In this way, the barrels 426a and 426b to be swapped (by inverting the barrel-adjustment assembly 420 as indicated by the directional arrow in FIG. 18) from the contracted (smaller-diameter) position of FIG. 17 to the expanded (larger-diameter) position of FIG. 18. The barrels 426a and 426b can be made of a heat-conductive material, such as a strip of metal, and heated for use.

FIGS. 20-21 show a barrel-adjustment assembly 520 according to a fifth example embodiment of the present invention. The assembly 520 comprises a barrel coil 526. The coil 526 can be made of a flexible, heat-conductive material, such as a strip of metal, that is coiled about itself along a central axis. The coil 526 is fixed at one end and movable at the other end. The movable end can be pulled or biased outward along the central axis away from the fixed end in order to increase the diameter of the barrel from its contracted position of FIG. 20 to its expanded position of FIG. 21. Similarly, the movable end can be pushed or biased inward along the central axis toward the fixed end in order to decrease the diameter of the barrel from its expanded position of FIG. 21 to its contracted position of FIG. 20.

FIGS. 22-23 show a barrel-adjustment assembly 620 according to a sixth example embodiment of the present invention. The assembly 620 comprises a barrel 626 in the form of a woven cylinder, much similar to the weaving pattern of a Chinese finger trap toy. When under a compressive force along its axis of elongation, the barrel 626 compresses to form a larger diameter in its expanded position of FIG. 22. When under a tensile force along its axis of elongation, the barrel 626 elongates to form a smaller diameter in its contracted position of FIG. 23.

While the invention has been shown and described in example forms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications, additions, and deletions can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. An adjustable-barrel curling iron, comprising:

a handle;

a pivotal clip;

a radially-adjustable barrel having an outer end and an inner end that overlap each other in a spiral configuration;

at least one heater that provides heat to the barrel; and

a barrel-adjustment assembly including a rotary adjustment ring, a rotation-transferring linkage, and a barrel cam, wherein the rotary adjustment ring rotates relative to the handle and is operably coupled to the rotation-transferring linkage, and the inner end of the barrel is coupled to the barrel cam, wherein when the rotary adjustment ring is rotated its rotary motion is transferred to the barrel cam by the rotation-transferring linkage, and the rotation of the barrel cam wraps and unwraps the barrel about the barrel cam to change the diameter of the barrel and radially adjust the barrel between an expanded position and a contracted position.

2. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 1, wherein the heater is a flexible heating element attached to an inner surface of the barrel to provide heat to the barrel.

3. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 1, wherein the rotary adjustment ring longitudinally translates relative to the handle between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein in the engaged position the rotation-transferring linkage is engaged to rotate the barrel cam and in the disengaged position it is not.

4. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 3, wherein the rotary adjustment ring is spring-biased to toward the disengaged position.

5. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 3, wherein the rotary adjustment ring includes an anti-rotation assembly having at least one protrusion that engages another component of the curling iron when the rotary adjustment ring is in the disengaged position to prevent rotation of the rotary adjustment ring when the rotary adjustment ring is in the disengaged position.

6. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 5, further comprising a fixed ring that does not rotate relative to the handle, wherein the anti-rotation assembly includes a plurality of protrusions extending from one of the rotary adjustment ring and the fixed ring and a plurality of mating recesses formed in the other of the rotary adjustment ring and the fixed ring.

7. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 1, wherein the rotation-transferring linkage comprises an adjustment gear-set.

8. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 7, wherein the adjustment gear-set includes a drive gear and a cam gear, the drive gear is operably coupled to and rotates with the rotary adjustment ring, the cam gear is rotationally driven by the drive gear, and the barrel cam is coupled to and rotates with the cam gear.

9. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 1, further comprising an adjustable distal end assembly comprising a plurality of fan blades configured to cover a distal end of the barrel as the diameter of the barrel is changed.

10. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 9, wherein the adjustable distal end assembly further comprises a distal tip cover, wherein the fan blades are coupled to and extend between the tip cover and the distal end of the barrel so that they overlap and layer upon one another in a decreased-diameter arrangement when the barrel is in the contracted position and they fan out into an increased-diameter arrangement when the barrel is in the expanded position.

11. An adjustable-barrel curling iron, comprising:

a handle;

a pivotal clip;

a radially-adjustable barrel having an outer end and an inner end that overlap each other in a spiral configuration;

at least one heater that provides heat to the barrel; and

a barrel-adjustment assembly including a fixed ring, a rotary adjustment ring, an adjustment gear-set, and a barrel cam, wherein the rotary adjustment ring rotates relative to the handle and the fixed ring and is operably coupled to the adjustment gear-set, and the inner end of the barrel is coupled to the barrel cam,

wherein when the rotary adjustment ring is rotated its rotary motion is transferred to the barrel cam by the adjustment gear-set, and the rotation of the barrel cam wraps and unwraps the barrel about the barrel cam to change the diameter of the barrel and radially adjust the barrel between an expanded position and a contracted position, and

wherein the rotary adjustment ring longitudinally translates relative to the handle and the fixed ring between an engaged position and a disengaged position, in the engaged position the adjustment gear-set is engaged to rotate the barrel cam and in the disengaged position it is not, and the rotary adjustment ring is spring-biased to toward the disengaged position.

12. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 11, wherein barrel cam extends longitudinally from the adjustment gear-set and is non-concentric with the fixed ring.

13. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 11, wherein the heater is a flexible heating element attached to an inner surface of the barrel to provide heat to the barrel.

14. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 13, wherein the flexible heating element is made of kapton, mylar, or silicone.

15. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 11, wherein the adjustment gear-set includes a drive gear and a cam gear, the drive gear is operably coupled to and rotates with the rotary adjustment ring, the cam gear is rotationally driven by the drive gear, and the barrel cam is coupled to and rotates with the cam gear.

16. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 11, wherein the rotary adjustment ring includes an anti-rotation assembly having at least one protrusion extending from one of the rotary adjustment ring and the fixed ring that matingly engages a component of the other of the rotary adjustment ring and the fixed ring to prevent rotation of the rotary adjustment ring when the rotary adjustment ring is in the disengaged position.

17. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 11, wherein the rotary adjustment ring includes an anti-rotation assembly having a plurality of protrusions extending from one of the rotary adjustment ring and the fixed ring and a plurality of recessed formed in the other of the rotary adjustment ring and the fixed ring that matingly engage each other when the rotary adjustment ring is in the disengaged position to prevent rotation of the rotary adjustment ring when the rotary adjustment ring is in the disengaged position.

18. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 11, further comprising an adjustable distal end assembly comprising a plurality of fan blades configured to cover a distal end of the barrel as the diameter of the barrel is changed.

19. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 18, wherein the adjustable distal end assembly further comprises a distal tip cover, wherein the fan blades are coupled to and extend between the tip cover and the distal end of the barrel so that they overlap and layer upon one another in a decreased-diameter arrangement when the barrel is in the contracted position and they fan out into an increased-diameter arrangement when the barrel is in the expanded position.

20. The adjustable-barrel curling iron of claim 18, wherein the fan blades are elongated and generally triangular, with wide ends of the fan blades attached to the distal end of the barrel and narrow ends attached to the tip cover.